Coaxial cable connector



United States Patent COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR Harry W. Harbourt,Cheverly, Md. Application June 29, 1956, Serial No. 595,022 1 Claim.(Cl. 339-177) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) Theinvention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for theGovernment of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to electrical transmission lines and isparticularly concerned with a nonresilient backing retainer for use witha transmission line employed with a coaxial connector.

Heretofore, it has been found that upon attaching the male member of thecoupling to the female member the terminal pin carrying the coaxialconductor often backed out during the assembly of the aforesaid membersthus causing an inferior electrical connection between the pin and pincontact arranged within the coupling members.

The present invention overcomes the aforesaid disadvantages encounteredin prior art devices by providing a novel nonresilient support forcoaxial conductors which is mechanically simple, easy to attach to theconductors and which provides an efiicient electrical connection betweentransmission lines. Moreover, the invention contemplates the provisionof a nonresilient insulating support for transmission lines whichcomprises a cylindrical element disposed about a portion of thecontinuous insulating sleeve enclosing the flexible conductor of acoaxial cable and having a metallic washer on one end thereof, the freeend of the conductor being soldered to the pin and sleeve contacts ofthe coupling and the free end of the braided copper conductor of thecable with the washer soldered to the outer portions of each couplingmember thereby to secure the cable to the aforesaid members and thusprevent axial displacement of the aforesaid pin and sleeve contacts asthe male and female members are assembled thereby insuring an efficientelectrical connection therebetween.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved nonresilientsupport for the terminal end of a transmission line.

Another object of the invention is the provision of' novel means forsecurely attaching a coaxial conductor to a coaxial coupling,

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means forconnecting flexible conductors of a coaxial cable to a coaxial couplingin such a manner as to insure an efiicient electrical connection betweenthe contact pin and contact sleeve.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages will be readilyappreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is an elevation view partly in section of a separable couplingillustrating a pair of coaxial transmission lines provided with abacking retainer constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the backing retainerillustrating the retainer in connection with a coaxial transmissionline.

Ill

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. l, thenumeral 10 generally indicates a conventional transmission line couplingcomprising a pair of separable sections 11 and 12, the section 11constituting a male member and the section 12 constituting the femalemember of the coupling, as more clearly shown on Fig. 2. The section 11is provided with a conventional elongated contact pin 13, the section 12being provided with a conventional elongated split sleeve or tubularcontact 15 for receiving the pin 13.

The numerals 17 and 18 generally indicate a pair of retainersconstructed in accordance with the present invention, each retainercomprising an elongated tubular element or sleeve 19 composed of anynonresilient or substantially rigid plastic material suitable for thepurpose and having a centrally disposed bore 20 extending therethrough.As more clearly shown on Fig. 2 a pair of coaxial cables 21 and 22 arecarried by sections 11 and 12 respectively, each of the cables having acontinuous inner insulating sleeve or coating 23 enclosing the innerflexible or axial conductor 24 thereof and extending through bore 20 ofthe element 19 associated therewith. One of the conductors 24 receivedin and soldered to the tubular portion 25 of pin 13 as at 26, Fig. 3,the other one of the conductors 24 being soldered to tubular contact 15as at 27, Fig. 2.

It will be noted, Fig. 2, that sleeve 19 of retainer 17 is disposedbetween an annular flange 28 formed on portion 25 of pin 13 and a washer29 disposed about the coating 23 the sleeve being in abutting engagementwith the flange and washer and serving as a nonresilient spacertherebetween. The washer may be composed of any material suitable forthe purpose, such, for example, as brass, and is disposed in abuttingengagement with the terminal end of a tubular receptacle member 30carried by section 11. The terminal end of the outer braided conductor32 of cable 21 is soldered to the terminal end of receptacle member 30and to washer 29 as at 33, Fig. 2, and is shielded by the usual rubberor saturated fabric element 34. Similarly, sleeve 19 of retainer 18 isdisposed between a flange 35 formed on tubular contact 15 and a washer36 disposed about the coating 23 in abutting engagement with sleeve 19and a tubular receptacle member 37, carried by member 12, the washer 36being composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, forexample, as brass. The terminal end of the braided conductor 32 of cable21 is soldered to the terminal end of receptacle member 37 and to washer36 as at 38. Soldering the braided conductors 32 to the rejectivewashers and receptacle members has the effect of securely fastening thewashers to the members. As will be understood by reference to Fig. 2,member 37 is telescopically receivable in member 30 and is alsoseparable therefrom.

In order that contacts 13 and 15 may be supported and positioned inproper relation to each other upon connection thereof, there is providedan elongated element 39, suitably bored to receive portion 25 of pin 13,flange 28 and part of sleeve 19, the element being composed of suitableinsulating material and serving to support the pin axially within member30, as will be understood by viewing Fig. 2. Numeral 41 designates anelongated insulating element which functions in a like manner to supportsleeve contact 15 axially within member 37.

By the aforesaid arrangement the cables 21 and 22 are secured toreceptacle members 30 and 37 of sections 11 and 12 and a nonresilient orsubstantially rigid backing is provided for the contacts 13 and 15whereby displacement or backing out thereof is prevented as pin 13 isinserted into sleeve contact 25 and thus an etficient electricalconnection is established and maintained therebetween which results in astable pulse output when the coupling is employed with variouselectronic devices such, for example, as a subrniniature amplifier orthe like.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that Within the scope of the appended claim the invention maybe practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

'7 What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LettersPatent ofthe United Statesis:

In a means for electrically connecting a pair of coaxial cables each ofwhich comprises an outer hollow conductor and an inner axial conductorwith an insulating c'over separating the conductors and surrounding theinner one thereof, the combination comprising a pair ofmetallic tubestelescopically related to each otherand each having an externallytapered outer end, a pair of annular metallic elements respectivelyassociated with said tubes, one each of said elements being disposed inabutting engagement with the tapered outer end of said tubesrespectively, each element having a surface providing an inwardlydirected shoulder at the outer end of the associated tube, a pair ofhollow members of substantially rigid insulating material associatedwith said tubes, one eachof said members being slidaoly disposedrespectively with said tubes and in'engagement with the shoulderprovided by the element at the outer end thereof respectively, the outerconductor of one of said cables being soldered both to one of saidelements and to the tapered .end portion of its associated tube toprevent,

movement therebetween, the inner conductor and insulating cover of saidcable extending into said associated tube and passing through said one'elementand the associated hollow member, the outer and inner conductorsand insulating cover of the other cable being correspond ingly relatedto the other element and associated tube and hollow member, a pair ofelongated contacts each having a hollow flanged base, one each of saidcontacts being disposed Within said tubes with theflanged base thereofabutting one of said associated hollow insulating members respectively,one of: said contacts having a tubular projection constituting a tubularcontact, the other of said contacts having a pin projection constitutinga pin contact, one of theinner conductors passing through the flangedbase of one of said contacts and being elec trically connectedv thereto,the other inner conductor being correspondingly related to the otherofsaid contacts, and means maintaining said contacts properly positionedfor insertion of said pin contact in said tubular contact upon assemblyand telescoping of said tubes; whereby each contact is backed bysubstantially rigid structure such that backing out of the contactsrelative to the tube within which it is disposed while the pin contactis being inserted into the tubular contact is prevented and an efiectiveconnection thereof is made and maintained.

' References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSWebber July 10, 1945 2,540,012 Salati Jan. 30, 1951 2,557,130 McGee etal. June 19, 1951 2,707,273 Klassen .Apr. 26, 1955 2,730,562 Marden Jan.10, 1956 "2,785,384

Wickesser Mar. 12, 19 57

